In 1929, Albert Steiger, a prominent Westfield businessman, gifted Chauncey Allen Park to the City of Westfield. The park was named for his father-in-law, Chauncey Allen, from whom he had inherited the ten-acre property. Mr. Steiger’s requested that a corner of the Park be set aside for the creation of a garden, honoring his mother, Mary Steiger.

​​

In 1933, landscape architect Thomas Desmond of Simsbury, Ct. and Elizabeth Bush Fowler, gardener, historian and Chair of the Westfield Parks Dept., were selected to lead the project that would result in the creation of a one-acre garden located in the northwest corner of Chauncey Allen Park. Designed in the Colonial Revival style, Grandmothers' Garden established a living memorial to Albert's mother, affectionately known as Grandmother Steiger, who loved flowers and who shared the gifts of a gardener's labor with her friends, her family and her community.​

 

By 1934, local volunteers and federal relief workers from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) had created an award-winning, destination garden acclaimed by local and regional visitors. The residents of Westfield and surrounding towns donated all the materials needed to construct the Garden including plants, old bricks, topsoil, millstones and a sundial. Fowler's deep interest in colonial history and gardening helped guide the project to completion.

​​

For decades, the award-winning garden was widely celebrated in regional and national publications including Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. The Garden featured a central Summer House, geometric flower beds and plantings, numerous walkways, a wishing well, sundial and Herb Garden. Elizabeth Bush Fowler lovingly supervised the maintenance of the Garden until her death in 1954.

​​

By 1978, the Garden had deteriorated as a result of prolonged neglect and vandalism. The beds had disappeared and invasive overgrowth had reclaimed the pathways. The Summer House, historic fencing and other artifacts required substantial repair and refurbishment.

​​

A local resident and Parks Commissioner, William E. Kieda, Sr. formed a committee, rallying the City of Westfield and the public to reclaim and honor the Garden as an extraordinary community landmark. These early efforts resulted in substantial improvements and by 1981 the Garden was, again, welcoming families and visitors into its historic borders. This successful strategy, however, relied on substantial funding from the City of Westfield. Ongoing support from the Steiger Family, community generosity and in-kind labor were insufficient to cover the increasing costs of maintaining and managing the reclaimed Garden.​

 

By 1990, funds for maintenance and improvement were exhausted. A Trust Fund, established by Mr. Kieda in 1982, was depleted and he and his committee faced a precarious reality. They acknowledged the Garden would very likely return to its 1978 condition and, sadly, their worst fears were realized. In 1993, the City announced the closing of the Garden due to budget constraints.​

​

Mr. Kieda’s dedication and vision, nonetheless, continued to ignite energy in support of restoration and preservation. In 1994, Friends of Grandmothers' Garden, Inc., a non-profit corporation, was formed to restore and rehabilitate the Garden based on historical documents.

​​

In 1995, the City of Westfield granted Friends of Grandmothers’ Garden, Inc. a 75-year lease on the 10-acre parcel of land comprising Grandmothers’ Garden and Chauncey Allen Park. Anne Wellington*, a local landscape designer and Radcliffe scholar, proposed rehabilitating the Garden using Thomas Desmond’s 1934 design. By 1997, a grant had been obtained allowing Denig Associates of Northampton, historical landscape architects, to research the origins of the Garden and estimate construction coats. A committee was formed to cover the $150,000 budget and the longstanding history of local generosity was repeated as thousands of individuals again joined the Steiger Family, area businesses and the City of Westfield to create and conclude a successful campaign.​

​

Today, the Garden is sustained by donors and volunteers who continue to preserve and protect it.  With each year that passes, Grandmothers’ Garden and Chauncey Allen Park rely on charitable institutions, area businesses, loyal supporters and new friendships to offer families and visitors a peaceful environment for enjoyment, exercise, contemplation and reflection in a beautiful natural setting.​